The Li Ki is one of the 'Five Chinese Classics'. This title is usually translated the Book of Rites. The work is a compilation of assorted texts which describe Chinese religious practices from the eighth to the fifth century B.C. It was first written down about 200 B.C.

This work is of interest because of the minute description of Chinese culture from this period, including funerary rites, clothing, cosmological theories, astronomy, economy, geography, history, family structure, the Imperial court, music, crime and punishment, horticulture, and even some exotic recipes.